Paper-feeding machine.



T. G. DEXTER & W. MOCAIN. l

PAPER FEEDING MACHINE. AHLIGATION HLBD` A1 B.30, 1909.

Patented July 25, 19.11

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

- o. www ifm. @im zmew "ma APPLICATION FILED APR.30, 1909.

Patented July 25, 1911.

5 sHBnTs-siIBET 2.

T. C. DEXTER & W. M. MOCAIN.

PAPER PEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APB.30,1909.

Pantea July 25, 1911.

li SHEETS-SHEET 3.

f u l 1 "1. C. DEXTER & W. M. MOGAIN.

PAPER PEBDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED A1130, 1909.

Patented July 25, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

'I'. C. DEXTER & W. M. MGCAIN. PAPER FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APBAQ, 1909.

Patented July 25, 191'1.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

UNITED STATE TALBOT c. DEXTER AND WILISIAM 1u. McAIN., OE PEARL EINER, vNanty YORK, ASSIGN- H ORS, EY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'no DENT-15in-y EOEDEB GQIVITANY, OF

PEARL RIVER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION or.` NEW: "noma:

PAPER-FEEDING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters-Patent.. Batignedi July 255 15911,

Application filed April 30, 1909. Serial No. 493,164.

To all whomdiif may concern?.

Be it known that we, TALBOT C. DEXTER and- WILLIAM M. MCCAIN, .both citizens of the United States, residing at Pearl River, in the county ofRockland and State of New York, have inventedl certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Feeding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in the type of paper feeding machines in which sheets are fed successively from an adjustably supported pile and conveyed to a printing press, folding machine or other machine esignedj to operate'upon the separate sheets.

The present' invention consists incertain improvements in the pile supporting and elevating mechanism for this type ofpaper feeding machines, the object of the present invention being to avoid' as much as possible the loss of't-ime now consumed n .loading a pile of sheets upon the paper supporting and elevating plat-form.

To thisend the present invention comprises a paper feeding machine having suitable pile elevating mechanism, including brackets which are movable vertically in the machine frame, and two pile supporting platforms formed with means for engaging the elevating brackets. At the base ofthe feeding machine frame, we provide a suita'ble frame or cradle for supporting one of the platforms, while the other platform car-v rying a pile of sheets is supported by the elevatlng mechanism in proper relation to the separating and feeding devices of the machine. While the separating and feeding devices are operating upon the pile of sheets upon the upper platform which is carried by the elevating mechanism, the operator can prepare a secondl pile of sheets upon the lower platform which is supported in the cradle or frame at thebase of the machine,

thereby utilizing the time when the machine is in operation for preparing a second pile of sheets. When the pile upon the upper platform is exhausted, the4 pile upon the lower platform will be ready so that the -operator arreststhe machine long enough to lower the brackets of\ the elevating mechanism into position to engage the lower platform, the upper exhausted' platform being permitted to rest temporarily upon the top of the pile carried by the lower platform while the elevating brackets are disengaged from it, when it is lifted off" from the top of thepile by the operator and laid one side until thedower platform is elevated sufficiently to permit the. exhausted platform to be placed in position at the` base of the ma? chine u on the frame or cradle.

To` acilitate the operation of the improved' mechanism, 'the means of engage- -ment between the elevating brackets and 4pile supporting platformsar'e so constructed that they engage only in' an' upward direction, that is, the brackets of the elevating mechanism' will engage the platforms when the brackets are moving upwardly, but will automatically free themselves from the platforms when the brackets are moving downwardly. rIhe specific embodiment of this feature of'the invention disclosed; in the present application comprises elevating brackets having. inwardly presented ears or lugs with horizontal openings formed through -theml to receive coupling pins or bolts, and outwardly presented arms upon the ends of the pile supporting platform formed vwith downwardly presented open sockets or recesses which fit over and engage the pins or bolts upon opposite sides of the rests upon the top ofthe pile of paper upon the lower platform,r when the elevating brackets will move the coupling pins or bolts out of engagement with the arms of the upper platform and free said' platformso that it can be removed from-the top of the second pile of sheets.. In the specific arrangement, it will of course be understood that the coupling pins `or bolts are withdrawn from the ears or lugs of the elevating brackets beforesaidbrackets are lowered to the plane of the lower plat-form, so as to permit -said ears or lugs to pass beneath the armsv of the lower platform, when said coupling, pins or bolts 'are again inserted preparatory to the reversalof the elevating mechanism for carrying upwardly the second" pile of sheets.

In order that our invention may be fully understood, we will firstdescribe the Salm..

with reference to the accompzmyi-ngdiwings, and afterward point out the novelty more particularly in the annexed claims.

In said drawings: Figure l is a side elevation of a paper feeding machine embodying our improvements, the sheet feeding devices being omitted. Fig. 2 1s a rear elevation of' the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of a part of the same. Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged detail views of the platform engaging brackets of thel pile elevating mechanism. Fig. 8 is a dtail end elevation of one of the pile supporting platforms. Fig. 9 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the lower part of the machine frame showing a part of the platformsupporting cradle. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the Ina-in frame of the pile supporting platform. 4 Y

Paper feeding machines of the type to which our improvements apply' are usually constructed with heavy frames such as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which the main frame consists of the upright side frames 1, transverse top frame 2, and the transverse bottom frame 3. These main frame parts are properly secured together and braced by the usual tie `bolts `in the manner well understood. At the front of the machine frame a series of vertical bars or slats 4 is provided to guide the front edge of the pile of lsheets. Y

Rlindicatesone of a series of under feed rollers suitably journaled in the machine frame in the path of sheets and adapted to coperate with the usual drop rollers (not shown) for delivering the successive sheets from the ile.

The re erence character l" indicates some suitable form of feeding oli devicel designed to move forwardly the successivetop sheets from the pile into position to be taken by the drop roller delivery mechanism above referred to. The specific form of the feeding ofi' device indicated is that covered by Patent No. 768,979 granted August 30, 1904. llllustrations of the feeding off device and drop roller delivery mechanism are intended only as conventional representations of any suit-- able forms of these devices for accomplishin the stated purpose:

ach of the vertical' side frames 1 has a l main channeled upright standard 5 in which are located the vertical elevating screws 6 suitably journaled inv bearing brackets (not shown) at their upper and` lower ends and carrying at their upper Vends beve] gears 7 meshing with similar bevel gears 8 keyed to the opposite ends of a horizontal coupling shaft -9 which is suitably journaled withinl the top cross bar 2 of the machine. This cross shaft 9 which couples the two elevating screws 6 is/usually provided with both hand and power mechanism for operating the elevating screws. This operating mechanism4 1s very common and well known 1n the art,X

eaaeeo and for this reason we have not thought it necessary to illustrate it, it being suthcient for the understanding of the present invention to bear in mind that the elevating screws are reversible so as to elevate or lower the pile support-ing platform. 'ln the application of an electric vmotor or other power for operating the elevating screws, it is common practice to provide automatic devices for arresting the operation of the screws at the limits ofthe upper and lower positions of the pile supporting platform so as to avoid injuring the mechanism, it being very desirable to employ power for operating said screws in the interest of saving time.

Each of the standards 5 of the machine frame is formed upon its inner face with a guideway vor track indicated at 15 and mounted to slide vertically in saidguidewaysy or tracks are the brackets 20 of the elevating mechanism. Each bracket 20 is formed witha vertically arranged oblong guiding portion 20a which has a sliding fit with the track or guideway of the frame, and a curved recess or pocket 20h. for the reception of a cylindrical nut 25 which is threaded upon an elevating screw 6 and is confined against relative vertical movement.

nut 25 has formed on its inner face an oblong block 26 which extends through an oblong slot or opening 27 formed through the vertical wall of the bracket 20, and a locking plate 28 engages the wall of said bracket 20 'and is secured to the block 26 by screws 29. By this means, it will be observed that the bracket and nut are securely fastened together so that the brackets will be carried up and down upon the elevating screws by the action of the screws upon the nuts; Each bracket has two inwardly presented ears or lugs 3() formed with transverse horizontal openings 31 through them, for

`the reception of coupling pins or bolts 35 hereinafter more particularly explained.

The brackets are also formed with inwardly y f yokes 42 fitting over the channeled bar 3of the frame andare preferably securedthereto by bolts 43. The brackets40 constitutea cradle or yoke for supportin a pile platform in convenient horizonta position for the operator to build up a pile of sheets thereon. The pile supporting platform comprises preferably the end frames 50 connected by the side bars 51 and braced lon-l n @cacao gitudinally by the truss rods 52 secured tosustaining the bars 51 through the blocks 54.

\wardly presented lug 63 formed upon a plate 64: which has an `upwardly extended the lugs 53 of the end frames andcentrally The table or floor of the pile supporting platform is preferably formed of a plurality of boards 55 of proper length to extend transversely of the platform frame 50-51 (that is, forward and back with reference to the feeding machine), each board having secured to its under surface adjacent to its opposite end, the U-shaped socket plates 56 which fit over the horizontal bars 51 of the platform frame, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 8 of the drawings. The boards 55 are capable of adjustment longitudinally of theframe 50-51 for the purpose of accurately adjusting a pile of sheets upon the platform in the feeding machine. The adjustment is accomplished in any suitable manner, but preferably by the means shown, consisting of a large screw 60 at each end of the platform frame. Each of these screws 60 is freely journaled in the end frame 50 and conned against longitudinal vdisplacement by a nut 61. A hand wheel 62 is fixed upon the screw to facilitate operating it. The screw 60 is threaded through a downange seated in a recess cut in the edge of one of the platform boards 55. :The construction is the same at both ends of the platform, so that it will be understood that to adjust a pile of sheets longitudinally of the platform (that is, transversely of the paper feeding machine) the screw 60 at one end ofthe platform is rotated to release the platform boards at that end and the screw 60 at the opposite end is rotated to force the platform boards toward the screw which, was first operated. When the pile is placed in the proper position, the boards are securely held against displacement by tightening up on both screws. The elements 62, 64 and 65 are shown only in dotted lines in Fior; 3 of the drawings, since such struct-ure 1s old and well known in the art and forms no part of the invention claimed herein.

The platform end frames 50 are formed with outwardly presented arms 50a formed with downwardly presented open sockets or recesses50b. The arms 50l at each end of the platform frame are spaced to receive between them the ears or lugs 30 of one of the elevating brackets so as to permit the brackets to move freely vertically through said platform arms when the coupling between these parts is removed.

The platform frame is provided at each end with the braced bearing'lugs 50d which are arranged in proper position to engage the bearing lugs 33 of the brackets when the platform 1s in operative position and coupledtothe brackets.

35 are the headed coupling pins or bolts l which are adapted to be inserted the openings Bl'of the ears or lugs 3Q so as to project upon opposite sides lof said ears or lugs and engage in the sockets or recesses 50b of the platform arms 50a sonas to lock the latform upon the elevating brackets.

T e main purpose of the above described invention is to enable the operator to place a supplemental pile receiving table or platform in position upon the cradle at the base of the machine beneath the pile supporting platform which is in operation, in order that the timein which .the feeding machine is working upon'the upper pile of sheets may be utilized for piling a succeeding pile of sheets hpon the supplemental table. When a pile supporting platform is mounted upon the y cradle at the base of the machine, the four lugs 53 of the platform frame rest in the four recesses or sockets 41 of the cradle bracket arms 40. v[t will of course be understood that the rst table to be placed in operation must be operated for a suflicient length-of time to elevate it far enough above the cradle to permit the insertion of the second table upon the cradle. Whenpthis has been done, the second pile is gradually built up upon the lower table as rapidly as Space isprov'ided by the feeding up of the top table which is in action. When the pile of sheets upon the upper table is exhausted, and the pile upon the lower table, supported by the cradle, is piled up as lfar as possible, the machine is stopped and/ the table elevating screws are reversed to move the elevatin ing o the exhausted table is preferably accomplished by power, although it may be done by hand. vThe exhausted table or platform will move downwardly lwith the brackets until it comes in contact with and rests upon the top of the second pile of sheets, the brackets continuing downwardly, causing the coupling pins 35 to move out of engagement with the platform arms 50a. After the coupling pins have moved away from the platform arms, they can be readily withdrawn from the ears or lugs 30 and 'placed to one side. The elevating screws are maintained in operation in their reverse or lowering direction, until the brackets reach their lowermost positionthe ears or lugs 30 passing downwardly between the platform supporting arms 50a of the second table, which is supported in proper position for this purpose upon the cradle. When the elevating bracket-s reach their lowermost position, the elevating screws are arrested, either automatically or by hand, and the coupling pins or bolts are again inserted in the openings of the ears or lugs 30 and the elevatin screws again thrown into operation-in a direction for elevating the brackets, with the result that the coupling pins will be moved up into engagement with the sockets or recesses brackets downwardly. This. lowerb of the arms 50a of the platform upon the cradle which is supporting the second pile of sheets. While the elevating brackets are being lowered, as just explained, the operator lifts from the top of the second pile of sheets the boards and frame 50, 5l, 52 constituting the exhausted table or platform above referred to and places that to one side. qWhen the second platform and pile are properly locked upon the elevating brackets, the elevating mechanism is operated until the top of said second pile is brought into the plane of feed, when the ,feeding machine is again placed in operation. As soon as this second platform has been elevated sufficiently, the first platform is then placed upon the cradle and another pile built up as rapidly as space is provided in the same manner as above explained. rIhis plan for economizing in time in supplying'piles of sheets to automatic paper feeding machines is of great importancein view of the rapidity of operation of suchmachines on all classes of work, but it is of particular advantage when operating upon thick paper or cardboard, in which cases the pile of sheets is much more rapidly er;-

-hausted than with thinner sheets of paper,

The purpose of the braced bearing'lugs 33 on the brackets 20 and the braced bearing lugs 50d on the pile supporting platform is to equalize the lateral strain upon the brackets; it being observed that the coupling pins 35 engage the brackets and platform below the point of connection between the brackets and screw nuts, while the bearing lugs 33 and 50d are arranged above the point of connection between the brackets and nuts. Ifl

it were not for the provision ofthese bearing` lugs, there would be a tendency to distort the upper ends of the elevating brackets inwardly toward the platform. With the described arrangement, however, the bearing lugs upon the platform register with the bearing lugs upon the brackets, and by reason ,of the weight of the pile of sheets carried by thel platform, s aid parts are pressed tightly together with the result that the platform supporting the pile is rigidly attached to the elevating brackets.

What we claim is: l l. In a paper feeding machine, the combination -of an upright., frame, lelevating mechanism'mounted in said frame and including traveling brackets formed with inwardly presented ears or lugs, a. pile carrying platform provided with outwardly presented arms, a cradle or support mounted at the base of said frame and adapted to re- 'ceive said platform and support itin pile receiving position, and coupling pins or bolts adapted to pass through openings in said ears or lugs and engage said arms for coupling said platform to said brackets.

2. In a paper feeding machine, the comceases bination of a frame, reversible pile elevating mechanism including inwardly presented brackets, a pile supporting platform having -outwardly presented arms, said 'inwardly presented brackets and said outwardly presented arms being mounted' in parallel planes to permit free relative motion past each other, and detachable means for coupling the brackets of the elevating mechanism with the arms of said latforms.

3. IIn a. paper feeding machine, the combination of a frame, reversible pile elevat-f ing mechanism, including inwardly presenth ed brackets, a plurality of pile supporting platforms having outwardly presented arms, said inwardly presented brackets and said outwardly presented arms being mounted in parallel planes to permit free relative motion past each other, and detachable means for coupling the brackets of the elevating mechanism with the arms of said platforms.

il. In a paper feeding machine, the combination 'of a frame, the reversible pile elevating mechanism including traveling brackets having inwardly presented ears or lugs, a pile supporting platform having outwardly projecting arms adapted to be presented alongside of the ears 0r lugs of said brackets, and detachable coupling devices for locking said armste said ears or lugs.

5,. V,In a paper feeding machine, the combination of a frame, reversible pile elevating mechanism including inwardly presented brackets, a. pile supporting platform having outwardly presented arms, and removable pins or bolts adapted to engage said brackets of the elevating mechanism and the arms of the platform.

6. In a lpaper feeding machine, the combination of a frame, reversible pile elevating mechanism including inwardly presented i bracketsa plurality of pile supporting plat` forms each having 'outwardly presented arms, and removable pins or bolts adapted to engage'said brackets of the elevating mechanism and the arms of the platforms.

7. In a paper feeding machine, the combination of' a frame, the pile elevating screws, inwardly presented traveling brackets threaded upon said screws, a pile supporting platform having arms projecting outwardly upon opposite sides of said brackets, and removable pins or bolts engaging said brackets and arms for locking said platform to the brackets.

8. In a paper feeding machine, the combination of a frame, the pile elevating screws, inwardly presented traveling brackets .threaded upon said screws, a pile supvporting platform having arms projecting outwardly upon opposite sides of said brackets, and removable pins 0r bolts passing through openings formed in said brackets and engaging said arms for locking said platform upon the brackets.

9. In a paper feeding machine, the combination of a frame, reversible pile elevatin mechanism including inwardly presented brackets, removable coupling pins or bolts passing transversely through said brackets and projecting upon opposite sides thereof, and a pile supporting platform having outwardly projecting' arms formed with downwardly presented recesses or sockets adapted to engage said bolts or pins upon opposite sides of said brackets.

l0. In a. paper feeding machine, thecombination of a frame, the `pile elevating screws, traveling brackets threaded upon said screws and formed with inwardly presented ears or lugs, a pile supporting platform having pairs of arms projecting outwardly from its opposite ends, each pair of said arms being spaced to receive between them the ears or lugs upon one of said traveling brackets, and removable pins or bolts engaging said ears or lugs, and arms for locking said platform to the brackets.

1l. In a paper feeding machine, the combination of a frame, the pile elevating mechanism including traveling brackets, the pilesupporting platform, means connecting said platform with said brackets, and .cooperating laterally presented thrust bearing faces formed upon said traveling brackets and platform above said connecting means.

l2. In a paper feeding machine, the combination of a frame, the pile elevating mechanism including traveling brackets, the pile supporting platform, means coupling Lforms adapted to rest the platform to the brackets, bearing arms projecting from the brackets, and bearin arms projecting from the ends of the platform and adapted to engage the bracket bearing arms. Y

13. In a paper feeding machine, the combination of a frame, the pile elevating mechanism including traveling brackets, the

screws, the brackets threaded upon said..

screws and formed with yinwardly presented ears or lugs having horizontal openings formed through them, pile supporting platwithin said frame and formed with downwardly presented vsockets or recesses, and detachable pins or bolts adapted to pass through the openings of said ears or lugs upon said brackets and engage said downwardly presented sockets or L recesses of the platform.

TALBOTI o. DEXTER. l WILLIAM M.AMVCCAIN Witnesses: i

' A. C. HAMMOND,

IRVEN H. 

